Page 84 of Summer Breakdown
Marcel sneaks Lani a cookie and she shrugs. “Maybe we should let them have a point because they tried hard.” She wants Marcel to win so badly.
Marcel looks over at Frankie, and she sighs. Jasmine gets it. He’s already heartbroken because Cam isn’t here. She sent cookies, but she’s not coming. Jasmine is blaming Andrew.
“I think they get a point.”
“Oh my God,” Jasmine says with a laugh. Her competitive streak comes out even as Frankie blushes. “You’re such a soft quiz leader.”
“Ma, you’re not using it to your advantage,” Marcel says. “Just ask Frank to give you points. She’d say yes.”
“True,” Ezra replies, and Frankie’s entire face gets dark. But Jasmine knows it’s true, she would.
“That’s cheating,” Jasmine replies.
“Mama, we should get the points,” Lani says, licking the chocolate of her cookie. “Ask Frankenstein for one hundred points. She’d have to say yes because you’re girlfriends.”
“What?” Mali asks, spinning to face Frankie, then back to Jasmine. “Are you official?”
Frankie’s eyes are wide, and Jasmine laughs. Jasmine thinks they’re dating even though Frankie hasn’t kissed her back, but it’s not something she’ll shout out loud before talking to her.
“Girlfriends like girls who are friends.”
Lani frowns. “But you hold hands and Frankie kissed you. Frankie likes girls, and you’re a girl.”
Jasmine snorts, but before she can reply Lani has spun to Frankie. “Mama likes girls.”
Jasmine rolls her eyes, looking over at a wonderfully blushed Frankie, then back to Kehlani. “If we were dating, I would tell you, Lani.”
“‘Kay,” Lani says, swallowing her biscuit. “Marcy and I think you would be the cutest.”
“That’s because you want Frankie to come over for dinner.”
Lani giggles. “And because Frankenstein is pretty.”
“She is,” Jasmine replies. Frankie pulls her cheek between her teeth, her fingers tapping her thighs. She’s so cute.
“Cam-Cam is pretty. Marcy thinks so,” Lani says casually as if Marcel isn’t on fire now.
Jasmine smiles. “Baby, remember how we talked about not telling people everything?”
Lani nods like she does remember that conversation. “Did I say something wrong?”
Jasmine smiles. “No, but sometimes if Marcel tells you things it’s just for you.”
“Oh,” she whispers, her hands against her face. “Just for me.”
“Mm-hmm.”
“Sorry, Marcy,” she says, walking around the table to hug him. He kisses her on the cheek, and she climbs into his lap.
“I forgive you. Cam having a nice face is just a fact. Like Mali and Frankie do. And like this girl in my class.” Jasmine smiles anytime someone casually mentions Frankie has a nice face and—
Jasmine’s eyes widen. Her entire body tensed in a desperate need to be cool.
“Do you have a crush on a girl at school?” she asks. Marcel’s head drops to the table again. Jasmine looks over at Frankie who is positively giddy about the news. It’s unreasonably fun to have someone who cares about the little things with her.
Marcel groans. “No.”
“Okay.”
